The Losers Club

In General

The Losers Club

Abusive Parents: Bill's parents ignore him after his brother dies, Eddie's mother is extremely overprotective, Beverly's father beats her regularly, and Ben's mother is part of the reason he's so overweight. Richie, Mike, and Stan's respective parents largely avert this.

Amnesiac Heroes: All of them, sans Mike, forgot virtually everything about each other and their battle with It when they grew up. It's only when It resurfaces in 1985 that the memories come back, albeit slowly.

Even Mike is missing the summer of 1958 from some time before IT's defeat until school lets back in in September.

Stan may also be an exception. It's clear he knew Bill Denbrough, the writer, as his childhood friend. He also remembered enough about what he'd face if he returned to Derry to kill himself.

Blessed with Suck: Over the course of the story, it becomes apparent to all the Losers that some outside force is guiding events leading to their confrontation with It. This leads to them being able to do things from the uncharacteristic (Eddie standing up to his mother for the first time) to the supernatural (the Adult losers sending Mike power to fight off Mark Lamonica in the hospital to the impossible (Bill reviving Audra from her catatonic state through a bike ride). But at the same time, all of them feel somewhat unsettled about their lives essentially being hijacked, and downright traumatized by the psychological damage that the conflict with IT creates.

Blood Brothers: All seven of them made a blood pact to return to Derry and finish the job in the event that IT ever comes back.

Five-Token Band: The Losers' Club is a Seven Token Band. Bill stutters, Ben is overweight, Richie has glasses, Eddie has asthma, Stan is Jewish, Mike is black and Beverly is poor (she's also the only girl).

Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: All of them smoke cigarettes, swear constantly, and after defeating It, they all make love with Beverly, all of this at age 11.

True Companions: In 1958 and 1985. Aside from those years they don't spend time with each other and in fact don't even remember each other.

Victory-Guided Amnesia: Except for Mike, all of the children completely forget their victory and spend most of the adults' portion of the novel trying to remember. After their second victory, they all begin to forget again, including Mike, who takes his memory loss as a sign that It is truly and permanently dead. Although other Stephen King books suggest otherwise...

Bill Denbrough

William "Bill" Denbrough (aka "Stuttering Bill"; "Big Bill")

The red-headed leader of the group, and the most self-assured member of the club. He wants to avenge the death of his younger brother, George. He feels partly responsible for his death as it was he who made George the boat and sent him outside to play with it during a rainstorm. In addition, his parents have become cold and withdrawn towards him after the loss of their youngest son, and he secretly hopes the death of the murderer will awaken his parents to his presence again. He has a bad stuttering issue, which his mother attributes to a car accident that occurred when he was three years old, and which earned him the nickname "Stuttering Bill".

Has a Type: Both the women he has feelings towards - Bev and Audra - are redheads.

Heroes Want Redheads: Young Bill and Beverly, both redheads, have a mutual crush. Adult Bill also ends up marrying a redheaded actress named Audra.

It's All My Fault: He has a lot of guilt for being the one who came up with the idea of fighting and killing It and thus bringing his friends a lot of misery. He also blames himself for George's death at Its hands, because he was the one who sent George out to play.

Your Cheating Heart: Cheats on Audra, his wife, with Beverly Marsh after they meet again as adults.

Ben Hanscom

Benjamin "Ben" Hanscom (aka "Haystack")

A highly intelligent boy who, before joining the Losers' Club, often spent his free time reading books at the public library. He is also obese, and due to this has become a favorite victim of Henry Bowers.

Berserk Button: Hit Beverly Marsh with a rock, and you will feel his wrath.

Bigger Is Better in Bed: Zig-zagged. In the sewer sex scene, Ben's equipment is much bigger than the other boys'. It's very painful for Beverly at first, but he also gives her her first orgasm.

The Big Guy: Physically the largest and strongest of the Losers, but not the tallest (that would be Bill).

Determinator: When he decided to lose weight. The gym teacher mocks him for trying, which just makes Ben work harder at it.

Disappeared Dad: Mysteriously, and with little clues. IT appears as him in the film to young Ben.

It is mentioned in the book that his father died when he was four years old. Though what he died from isn't mentioned. In the 1990 miniseries, Ben mentions his father was killed whilst fighting in Korea.

Formerly Fat: Adult Ben is so slim that when he tells people he was obese as a child, they react with disbelief.

Gag Penis: For an eleven-year-old, anyway. In the sewer sex scene Beverly finds out his is by far the biggest of the Losers' Club.

Momma's Boy: Ben loves his mother dearly, but fortunately for him she's nowhere near as overbearing as Eddie's mother.

I Am Big Boned : Much of Arlene Hanscom's personal security comes from keeping her son well-fed. When a teenaged Ben confronts her about it, she tells him he's not fat, he just has big bones. A compromise is reached when she starts cooking healthier meals so Ben can still eat a lot but not gain weight.

Scars Are Forever: Zig-zagged. Henry cut an H into Ben's belly when they were kids, and a much deeper scar was inflicted on him a little later. The H scar stayed (and became a neat pub story) but the deeper scar faded away after they left Derry. When IT resurfaced and the Losers started being drawn back to Derry, the scar reappeared.

Beverly "Bev" Marsh/Rogan

The only girl in the group, she is an attractive and tomboyish redhead on whom each of the boys has a secret crush at some point during the story. She is from the poorest part of Derry, and is frequently abused by her father, Alvin, while her mother, Elfrida is out working.

The Dog Bites Back: Her husband abused her regularly. In her first scene, she gets the call from Mike, and when Tom tries to stop her from leaving, she decides she's had enough of his shit, fights back, and beats the hell out of him.

Hello, Nurse!: It is acknowledged in-universe that Beverly is very beautiful. The reason that she isn't part of the popular girl's clique is that she's poor and can't afford nice clothes, and she doesn't act very ladylike (swearing, smoking, playing out in the woods instead of doing stereotypically girly things, and hanging out exclusively with boys). Also, the richer girls are rather annoyed that they are getting upstaged in terms of looks by someone who's working-class and from the poor side of town.

Heroes Want Redheads: All the male Losers are romantically attracted to Beverly at some point, as is Beverly herself to Bill and they all have sex with her - although Ben becomes a couple with her at the end.

Mirthless Laughter: After catching the Bowers gang fart-lighting and nearly being discovered in the process, she cracks up laughing... but only because she doesn't know of any other way to cope with the sight.

Butt-Monkey: He grows up as a fragile, allergic-to-everything Momma's Boy, gets his arm broken by Henry and pals, and marries an overbearing carbon copy of his mother. It's even worse in the movie, where he never stops living with his mom and dies a 40-year-old virgin.

Calling the Old Man Out: Eddie is pissed when he's in the hospital and his mother sends his friends away. She is actually frightened of him for a moment. Note that this is the only time he ever stands up to his mother.

Disappeared Dad: His father left when he was very young, which probably contributed to his mother being overprotective of him.

Like Parent, Like Spouse: Eddie married a woman like his mother. He very much realized it, but still couldn't do anything about it. He's not exactly miserable in his marriage to Myra, but he's very cognizant of the fact that she has her hooks in him just as strong as his mother did.

Momma's Boy: He's squarely under his mother's thumb and likes it, until he starts to make friends and realize just how much she holds him back.

My Beloved Smother: Eddie's mother. His father died when Eddie was very young and Eddie himself suffered a very real and very serious case of whooping cough shortly thereafter. She spent the rest of her life terrified of being "left alone" and became overprotective.

Richard "Richie" Tozier (aka "Trashmouth")

Known as "Trashmouth", Richie is the Losers' most lighthearted member, always cracking jokes and doing impersonations or "Voices", which prove very powerful weapons against It. He is "too intelligent for his own good" and channels his boredom in hyper-active wisecracking, to the point of getting into trouble. His flippant remark to Henry Bowers leads to almost getting beaten up by Henry and his friends. He is the most devoted to keeping the group together as he sees seven as a magical number and believes the group should have no more, no less. In adulthood, he is a successful disc jockey in Los Angeles.

Awful Wedded Life: In the miniseries, he tells Eddie that he's "better off dead than wed". Harsher in Hindsight, as less than 24 hours later, Eddie falls victim to IT. In the book, this is implied when he tells the gang about his ex-girlfriend, Sandy, who doesn't want to have kids with him because he's "a shit."

Class Clown: A's and B's in schoolwork, but C's and D's in classroom conduct.

Deadpan Snarker: Can be quite witty when he's not overtly hamming it up. Being a smartass is the main thing that gets him on Henry Bowers' bad side.

Phrase Catcher: "Beep-beep, Richie." Used by the other Losers when they think Richie is laying on the jokes or sarcasm too thick.

Mike Hanlon

Michael "Mike" Hanlon

The last to join the Losers. He is the only African-American in the group and lives with his parents on a large farm. He goes to a different school from the other kids due to his Baptist faith. Mike is racially persecuted by Henry Bowers, whose father holds a long-standing grudge against Mike's father. Mike meets The Losers when they help him fight back against Bowers in a massive rock fight. His father kept an album filled with photos that were important to Derry's history, including several of Pennywise the Dancing Clown. He is the only one of the Losers to stay behind in Derry (and thus the only one to retain his memory of the events of 1958) and becomes the town librarian.

Arch-Enemy: To Henry Bowers. Henry hated Mike the most out of all the Losers. He learned it from his father Butch, who absolutely detests Mike's father Will, mainly for the fact that he's black, but also because he's simply a better farmer. Ironically due to encountering him less, Mike has actually suffered less from Henry's hands than the other Losers.

Haunted House Historian: Part of his self-imposed "lighthouse keeper" duties is to research IT while the others are away, leading Mike to write an history on the events of his childhood and earlier manifestations of IT, such as the Bradley Gang massacre, Black Spot fire and Claude Theroux massacre. When the Losers return he is able to give them a greater analysis into IT's nature, to aid in their planned final battle.

I Choose to Stay: He never left Derry even after the rest of the Losers' Club had moved, and essentially acted as the watchman in case It ever returned. Though he didn't precisely "choose" to stay any more than the others "chose" to leave. They left because their parents moved away, he stayed because his never did. It was less choice than it was fate and possibly the manipulation of the Turtle.

If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him: During their showdown in the library, Mike is stopped from killing Henry by the realization that if he does so, he would be doing It's work just as surely as Henry is doing It's work by trying to kill him.

The Stoic: He is relatively unflappable when confronted by dangers. However certain events push him into rare panic, such as Henry revealing he killed Mike's dog, and seeing a vision of Stan's head.

Token Minority: The only black member of the Losers Club, though it seems more likely that the author was merely searching for archetypal characters likely to be outcasts, particularly in small towns—the fat kid, the wimpy kid, the Jewish kid, the rag doll, the hyperactive foureyes, the kid with the speech impediment, and the only black kid in town. Seems to fit.

Stan Uris

Stanley "Stan" Uris

The most skeptical member of the Club. He is Jewish and is persecuted by Henry Bowers for this reason. Logic, order, and cleanliness are deeply ingrained in his psyche. He relies on logic more than anything else and is the least willing to accept that It actually exists. As an adult, he becomes a partner in a large Atlanta-based accounting firm and marries Patty Blum, a teacher.

The Oath-Breaker: He swore the blood oath to return and take down It along with the other Losers, even being the one to cut their palms so they could make it. Instead of returning to honor his vow, he offed himself. None of the others hold it against him.

Psychic Powers: He appears to have these in his adult life, successfully picking out from many applications the job his wife will get. It may also be why he remembered the Turtle and events from his childhood better than the other Losers (excluding Mike).

Skepticism Failure: Stan is the last of The Losers' Club members to recognize IT's existence. There is the implication that his extremely ordered, rational nature is what led him to choose suicide rather than face It again, a monster that defies rationality and natural laws. When he finally opens up to the others about the evidence of It that he has witnessed (the dead boys in the Derry standpipe), in his inner monologue he thinks that the worst thing about it was not that they were terrifying, but that their very existence offended his world view.

The Smart Guy: The most rational of the Losers, and possibly the most intelligent. This works against him though as he finds it harder to cope with the events around him.

Straight Man: He makes few jokes, and it's usually only in response to another character's ribbing (when Richie jokes that Stan, being a Jew, killed Christ, Stan responds, "I think that must have been my father."). He's the most serious-minded of the Losers.

Supernatural Beings

IT

IT/Pennywise the Dancing Clown/Bob Gray/The Spider

A mysterious, eldritch demonic entity of evil, It is a monster of unknown origin that preys on Derry's children and humans every three decades, stating It finds the fear in children akin to "salt(ing) the meat". Among Its powers is shapeshifting into a form that induces fear while killing the victim, normally assuming the form of a middle-aged man dressed in a clown costume, calling itself "Pennywise the Dancing Clown" and occasionally Bob or Robert Gray, modeled after Bozo, Clarabell and Ronald McDonald. It can also manipulate people and use them as pawns into doing its bidding, either by assuming a form most familiar to them, promising them their desires, or through subliminal influence. Thus, having control over what happens in Derry, many of the child murders It commits are never solved, as the adults of Derry either act as though nothing is happening or have forgotten about It.

Achilles' Heel: It has to take a physical form in order to directly influence the world, however this means that It can be hurt and banished (though it's not clear whether It can actually be killed in this manner); also, It has issues with Shapeshifter Mode Lock and is a psychically sensitive being, meaning that it can gain a weakness through a collective belief that it has one.

Animalistic Abomination: It's truest form, the Spider, is an otherworldly, Lovecraftian monstrosity made of pure, glowing energy that vaguely takes the form of an arachnid.

Bad Boss: During 1958, it used Henry Bowers and his gang as pawns, and then tried to kill them in the sewers of Derry after they chase the Losers in, killing Victor and Belch while Henry escapes. Mike points this out to Henry during their fight in the library, stating that It will most likely kill him along with the Losers.

Blob Monster: When IT emerges from a drain to attack Beverly, she notes IT is a shapeless mass with a taffy-like consistency. IT has a similar appearance when transforming in Neibolt Street, and when encountering Patrick Hocksetter.

Clap Your Hands If You Believe: A weakness, owing to It being a very psychically sensitive being. If you collectively believe that It has a certain weakness, it gains that weakness.

Cornered Rattlesnake: It prefers to run when it loses an advantage or the tables turn against it, but during the final showdown in the book, when Bill and Richie catch up to It as It's fleeing, It ultimately goes down fighting.

Child Eater: IT prefers to munch on children because their imaginations and emotions are more vivid (read: juicy).

Dirty Coward: IT's brazen enough when it's in control of a situation, but begs and pleads as soon as it realizes it's vulnerable, and it's last words (apart from a Big "NO!") are frantic attempts to bargain for it's life.

Eldritch Abomination: IT's true form in the Losers' universe is actually a "spider", or at least the closest thing the human mind can comprehend. What IT really is, in the space outside their reality where IT resides, is different and can be much more brain-melting.

Empathic Shapeshifter: It takes on the forms of what its victims fear. When encountering Patrick Hocksetter, who doesn't fear anything, IT takes on an uncertain shifting appearance.

Hoist by His Own Petard: IT shares the weaknesses of whatever form it takes. Also, if several people all perceive IT as one form and think of it in that form hard enough, it becomes "mode-locked" and unable to change. The Losers take advantage of this in the house on Neibolt street. They first lock it into werewolf form, then they drive it off by shooting it with a silver bullet from a slingshot.

Load-Bearing Boss: After IT is finally defeated, a flood destroys much of Derry later that year. It's implied that IT had allowed the town to exist in exchange for providing its victims every 27 years.

Reality Warper: Suggested by its wide variety of powers, of which shapeshifting and illusions are only the most used. Pennywise also made Derry prosperous, may have made the Losers rich and childless in adulthood from across the country, and states that it can make people live for centuries. (although that may have been a lie)

If one believes enough in IT's illusions they become very real.

Red Oni, Blue Oni: Pennywise/the Spider and the Turtle. One actively hunts down and eats human children while the other just sits on the edge of forever, seeing it all happen and "helping" the Losers during their first confrontation with IT. The Spider berates it for just sitting there, offering seemingly useless advice. That the Spider's eyes are described as ruby-red while the Turtle's shell is some blueish-greenish color also reinforces the trope. IT suspects/fears an "Other" beyond the Turtle that is also opposing IT, but it's not until The Dark Tower novels that this is confirmed.

Sadist: It's not enough for him just killing (and possibly eaten) children. He loves scaring 'em and torture 'em psychologically first and relishing in their fear.

Shapeshifter Default Form: Pennywise the Dancing Clown is a Type B, being the form IT uses to get around and interact with people.

Shapeshifter Mode Lock: Happens to IT when the entire Losers' Club perceives it as a giant eyeball. Notably, one of the characters was about to perceive it as something else, but when one of them shouted "It's a giant eye!" it appeared to all of them in that form. Also happens earlier when they perceive IT as a werewolf, and shoot IT with a silver slingshot bullet.

Smug Snake: IT is arrogant and sadistic when in control of a situation. But when the tables are turned, IT retreats.

Totally Not a Werewolf: Is mistaken for other monsters, as it uses the fears of children brought up on horror movies.

Troll: IT likes to flavor the meat of its victims with fear before chowing down on them, but a whole lot of its behavior can't really be explained outside of the sheer joy it takes in tormenting people.

Villains Want Mercy: As established under Dirty Coward above, the minute Bill and Richie corner it, It starts desperately begging for It's life and trying to bargain with them. It doesn't work.

Villainous Breakdown: Has one near the end of the book when Bill and Richie corner it in the sewers beneath Derry.

Christine

Christine is a car that debuted in the novel Christine. She only appears briefly in the story to help Henry Bowers get to the Loser's hotel.

Badass Driver: Pennywise, in the shape of Belch's undead body, was in the driver's seat.

Cool Car: The Bowers obsessed over one day owning one, as it was Butch's favourite.

The Cameo: Crossing over from another story, which is a Stephen King staple.

Maturin

Maturin/The Turtle

Animalistic Abomination: An eldritch turtle that created (albeit unwillingly) our universe and many others. He is also one of the twelve guardians who watch over the beams upholding the Dark Tower,

Big Good: It aids the Losers in 1958 subtly with its powers. The repeated mention of turtles and Turtle brand products around them shows its power. It's dead in 1985 though, leaving The Other to help the Losers.

Henry's Gang

In General

Barbaric Bully: Henry, Victor and Belch definitely go in for the more physically violent style of bullying rather than the psychological (though Henry rightly guesses that killing Mike's dog is far more devastating than any beating he can inflict on Mike himself).

Even Evil Has Standards: Several of Henry's flunkies, most notably Victor, are horrified by the lengths Henry is willing to go to torture the Losers, such as carving his first initial into Ben's belly or trying to blow up Mike with M-80s and cherry bombs.

Henry Bowers

The sadistic and crazed neighborhood bully who torments the Losers and other kids ceaselessly before and throughout the summer of 1958.

Abusive Parents: Henry's father is a violent racist who treats Henry horribly. As nasty a person as Henry is, it's not hard to see where he gets his behavior from when you look at Butch.

Ambiguously Bi: In one chapter, he lets Patrick Hockstetter masturbate him, which gives him an erection that Patrick claims is the biggest he's ever seen. When Patrick offers him oral sex, however, Henry punches him out and derisively tells him he "doesn't go for that queer stuff."

Ax-Crazy: Steadily grows more psychopathic and unstable as the book goes on. This is not lost on the other members of his gang, most of whom begin to shy away from him because of it. The only one who doesn't is Patrick Hockstetter, and that's because he makes Henry look positively well-adjusted. His father, Butch, is not much better.

Bully Brutality: Some of the things he does to the Losers, such as drenching Mike in mud, white-washing Stan's face in snow until it bleeds, and nearly drowning Bill in a dunk tank, should have landed him in prison at the very least.

Even Evil Has Standards: As much of a horrible person he is, Henry is disturbed by Patrick Hockstetter's hobby of torturing and killing animals if only slightly. It should be noted that he sees it more as a means of blackmail rather than something to truly be bothered by however.

Eye Scream: In the book, Eddie gouges out his right eye with a broken bottle.

Freudian Excuse: His father is abusive, racist, and not that much more stable.

Greaser Delinquents: Henry's modus operandi. Contemptuous of all authority, sporting a leather jacket (it's pink in the book) and a duck's-ass haircut, and menacing weaker kids with a switchblade. He's also a big fan of Rock & Roll, which is one of the few things he and the Losers agree on, though none of them realize it.

Mean Character, Nice Actor: Jarred Blancard as Young Henry Bowers. According to the DVD commentary he felt really bad for having to use the N word and couldn't be more apologetic to Marlon Taylor (Young Mike) after they finished filming the scene.

Politically Incorrect Villain: He hates Stanley because he's Jewish, he hates Mike because he's black, he hates Eddie because of his asthma, he hates Beverly because she's a girl, he hates Ben because of his weight, he hates Richie because he's a little smartass four-eyes twerp, he hates Bill because he's a stuttering nerd...we can go on forever.

Pet the Dog: When on a ride with It, who was disguised as the late Belch Huggins with Henry none the wiser, he decides to apologise to Belch for leaving him to die at the hands of It.

Psychopathic Manchild: He still focuses on the Losers beating him in 1985, almost thirty years later, and is utterly fixated on killing them and paying them back. Justified, since he has been in a mental hospital since he was 12.

Real Men Wear Pink: He wears a pink motorcycle jacket in the book, and woe betide any kid foolish enough to laugh at it.

Right for the Wrong Reasons: He's aware of Patrick's secret fridge and what he uses it for, however he seems only slightly bothered by it and merely uses it as blackmail so Patrick won't tell anyone about giving Henry a handjob.

Schoolyard Bully All Grown Up: After spending many years in psychiatric hospital, Henry Bowers escapes with IT's help and almost kills Mike Hanlon.

Teeny Weenie: Compared to Victor, as Beverly notices when she watches them light farts from a hiding place.

Sanity Slippage: Throughout the summer of 1958, Henry slowly but surely loses it after suffering numerous defeats at the hands of the Losers. By August of that year, he's completely snapped.

The Scapegoat: It arranges for him to take the fall for all of its 1957-1958 victims.

The Sociopath: He's contrasted with his two primary associates in bullying, Victor Criss and Belch Huggins, in that Victor and Belch like picking on the other kids, even beating them up, but they don't want to do any lasting harm. Once he gets angry enough, Henry simply doesn't give a fuck about the consequences.

"Well Done, Son!" Guy: In a twisted sort of way. He simultaneously hates his father and seeks his approval. The reason he killed Mike Hanlon's dog, by feeding it poisoned beef, was to please his father. When he tells Butch about it, Butch congratulates him and offers him a beer; that was the happiest moment of Henry's childhood.

Worf Had the Flu: His confrontation with Mike leaves him with multiple stab wounds, which, according to Eddie, are the only reason Eddie managed to kill him in the book.

Would Hit a Girl: Henry is equal-opportunity when it comes to getting back at anyone who pisses him off.

Younger Than They Look: In 1985, he's described with graying hair, with Mike reflecting briefly that he's "being pushed to a premature age" and is "39 going on 73."

Victor Criss

Victor "Vic" Criss

A bully, and one of Henry's sidekicks. Among Henry's gang, Vic is most likely the smartest and most intelligent member and is the only one who truly realizes Henry's insanity, and becomes increasingly reluctant to follow him.

Even Evil Has Standards: Victor is fine with beating up smaller kids for fun, but shocked by some of Henry's actions (such as trying to carve his name on Ben's stomach with a knife).

Gag Penis: Beverly makes note of it when she sees Henry's gang lighting farts from a hiding place. Contrary to the trope name, it is NOT played for laughs.

Heel–Face Door-Slam: There are some hints in the book that Victor was considering defecting to the Losers, and may have gone as far as warning them about Henry's deteriorating state. If he was considering this, though, IT put a stop to that.

Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Yes, he's a bully who is more than willing to make fun of other kids or even beating them up, but he's probably the most down-to-heart and sanest of the Bowers gang.

Noble Demon: Not a completely straight example, but he has some shades of it. He has no problem beating other kids up, but, he will never go as far as to do permanent damage to them. While being chased by Henry's gang before the Rock Fight, even Mike acknowledges that out of all of them, at least Victor doesn't want to do him any serious harm. He's actually right, as that day Vic made sure that, when Henry says he wants to put a couple of firecrackers in Mike's shoes, that Henry meant the small ones and not the M-80s, which would probably cripple Mike for life.

Off with His Head!: When they meet It (in the form of Frankenstein's monster) in the sewers, the first thing it does is rip Victor's head clean off.

Only Sane Man: Victor is among the first to realize just how far off the deep end Henry is going, and likely the first to do so on the bad side.

Red Oni, Blue Oni: Although never acknowledged as equals, he is the Blue to Henry's Red. This is especially clear in the Rock Fight. Henry got hotheaded, and only got himself hurt even further. Victor kept his cool, and was able to take all the damage Henry's Gang suffered, and return it in kind back to the Losers by himself.

Screw This, I'm Outta Here!: Along with Peter Gordon he runs off during the rock fight. He does however stay longer and at least gets a few goods hits in.

When the gang is beating up Eddie, Vic is quick to leave when they hear sirens coming their way unlike Henry and Patrick who consider taking their chances, and Moose who is too stupid to do anything.

Reginald "Belch" Huggins

Another sidekick of Henry's, and earned his nickname due to his ability to belch on command.

The Brute: Taller and stronger than every other kid his age and older at Derry Elementary and Middle, and loves a good fight, especially when it's against someone weaker than him. Even so, he's not as relentlessly cruel as Henry.

Heroic Sacrifice: Even though he's been a bullying Jerk Ass for most of the book, Belch actually redeems himself when he protects Henry from IT after the monster kills Victor and goes after Henry. Unfortunately for him, he gets half of his face torn off for his trouble.

Unskilled, but Strong: A very early, very fast growth spurt meant that, for a twelve-year-old, he was exceptionally strong but also very clumsy. It's noted that he only hit two baseball pitches in an entire season, but both went out of the park and out of sight; even the Losers had to admire this achievement.

Patrick Hockstetter

A psychopathic and solipsistic bully who is part of Henry's gang (despite the other members being annoyed with him and his generally low reputation).

Asshole Victim: He kills animals for fun, and once murdered his baby brother. He's easily the least sympathetic of It's victims, with the possible exception of Tom Rogan.

Ax-Crazy: It's shown that this aspect of him is just as bad as Henry, if not more so. He murders his brother, kills animals for fun and the only thing that can get a good reaction out of him is torturing and killing others. In the chapter in which his full backstory is revealed, it's outright stated that if he wasn't already a full-fledged psychopath before he died, he was pretty damn close.

Creepy Child: The kid collects dead flies. That is, flies he swats with a ruler and puts into his pencil case. And that's the least creepy thing about him.

Fearless Fool: Because of his mental state, Patrick has little understanding of the concept of fear. He barely even reacts when Henry aggressively threatens him. Because of this, IT is not quite sure what form (besides the flying leeches) to take when it attacks Patrick (Patrick notices the thing approaching him is constantly changing shape, as if not sure who or what it wants to be).

Feel No Pain: A Tone Down version. As part of his state of mind, Patrick doesn't think pain is real and thus doesn't feel it like everybody else. He is unfazed by the bites of animals he put in his fridge and seems more amused by Henry's punches than anything.

Karma Houdini: Discussed and ultimately averted. When his younger brother was born and Patrick lost some of his parent's attention, he smothers the baby with a pillow. His father did become suspicious at one point, but he ultimately decided not to take action against him. No one ever finds out, but Patrick eventually meets a grisly fate courtesy of It.

Karmic Death: He's attacked by IT in the form of a swarm of flying leeches that burst out of the refrigerator where he tortured and killed plenty of animals, passes into unconsciousness from blood loss, and comes to while It is busily devouring him.

Psycho for Hire: Emphasis on "psycho". Even Henry (who is not a bastion of sanity himself) is somewhat disturbed by him.

Sadist: Sexual Sadist even (meaning he drives sexual pleasure from others' pain, as opposed to simple sadist who just found it amusing). Causing pain is the only thing that really interests him.

Gasshole: On the day of the Apocalyptic Rockfight, Henry and his gang attempt to sneak up on Mike Hanlon and catch him (since he could outrun all of them if he saw them coming), but Mike is tipped off when Moose, who had eaten three plates of baked beans the night before, rips an epically loud fart.

Like Father, Unlike Son: His father is about as dumb but much more good-natured, even to the point where he cheerfully helps Will Hanlon with farm work.

Screw This, I'm Outta Here!: Sort of. When Henry is beating up Eddie, Moose suggests that they flee when they hear sirens approaching but he doesn't run until Henry agrees.

What Happened to the Mouse?: It is implied that he is killed by It, as the Losers mention that this has happened to all of Henry's friends, but it is not elaborated upon at all.

Peter Gordon

Peter Gordon

A well-off friend of Henry's that lives on West Broadway, who thinks of chasing Mike Hanlon as a game, though Henry's crazed and increasingly violent behavior (such as attempting to outright kill Mike with cherry bombs and M-80s) begins to alienate him.

Dirty Coward: As probably the least physically imposing member of the gang, he sticks to insults in taunts as opposed to violence when the other members of the gang aren't around.

Even Evil Has Standards: Not quite as much as Victor, but Peter begins feeling more and more reluctant to continue as Henry gets more psychotic.

Fragile Speedster: He is the only one fast enough to keep up with Mike Hanlon (who is very fast and athletic) when chasing him. He's also the most physically weak of the gang and the most reluctant to actually engage in fights.

Puppy Love: With Marcia Fadden, though Richie speculates that they're only going steady because 1) they live next door to each other, and 2) they're both assholes, so they need each other's support and attention.

Screw This, I'm Outta Here!: Being a comparatively pampered rich kid, Peter is the first of Henry's gang to beat feet when the Losers decide not to run and begin the Apocalyptic Rockfight.

Other Derry Children

George "Georgie" Denbrough

Bill Denbrough's younger brother whose death orchestrates the entire events of the novel.

An Arm and a Leg: Pennywise pulls off George's arm, which results in him bleeding profusely until death.

Horrible Judge of Character: Seriously kid, you don't think there's anything suspicious about a clown who knows your name and lives in the sewers? To be fair, he was six. And to his credit, he was wary of Pennywise at first because his dad had warned him about strangers.

Sacrificial Lamb: Eddie was mainly in the book to demonstrate how IT hunts and kills children.

Bradley Donovan

Bradley Donovan

Bill's speech therapy classmate who temporarily hung out with the Losers.

The Friend Nobody Likes: When he insults Bev when she bests him at pitching pennies ("Girlth cheat!"), he nearly catches an ass-whooping from Ben; he only escapes because Ben trips when he starts to run away. This wears out his welcome with the Losers' Club...and at any rate, Richie thinks to himself, they already have a kid with a speech impediment in their little group.

Sally Mueller

A well-off classmate of the Losers Club who lives on West Broadway and is best friends with Greta Bowie. Her family and ancestors are well known for being part of Derry's incidents, milestones and events.

The Rival: To Beverly whom she and Sally look down upon due to her impoverished background, and whose beauty they envy.

Vincent "Boogers" Taliendo

Vincent "Boogers" Taliendo

The Alcoholic: He grows up to be this, and cleans a local tavern in exchange for free beer.

The Friend Nobody Likes: He is a weird kid who is the source of weird information for the students of Derry Elementary (he gives Eddie an erroneous explanation of how babies are conceived), but isn't favored by any particular clique. He grows up to be The Alcoholic, cleaning a local tavern in exchange for free beer.

Marcia Fadden

Marcia Fadden

A classmate of the Losers Club who resides next door to Peter Gordon on West Broadway and is dating him.

Alpha Bitch: The novel only mentions that Sally Mueller and Greta Bowie dislike and are generally apathetic towards Beverly. However, Marcia, along with Peter Gordon, outright make fun of her and Richie when they run into each other at the movie theater.

Puppy Love: With Peter Gordon, though Richie speculates that they're only going steady because 1) they live next door to each other, and 2) they're both assholes, so they need each other's support and attention.

What Happened to the Mouse?: We never find out what happens to Marcia after the events that occurs during the summer of 1958. It's possible that due to her indirect association with Henry through Peter, It killed her along with Henry's other friends.

Calvin and Cissy Clark

Calvin and Cissy Clark

Derry Adults

In General

Adults Are Useless: A combination of their lack of childlike faith and the power of IT enhancing their Selective Obliviousness and Bystander Syndrome attitude makes them completely useless against IT. It's noted at one point that non-useless parents realize (however vaguely) there is something horribly wrong in Derry and move away.

Apathetic Citizens: IT mind-controls the residents so they do not interfere with its killing or plans. The description of Claude Theroux's attack makes it seem similar to Douglas Adam's Somebody Else's Problem phenomenon: the citizens just ignore the violence as something that doesn't involve them.

Noodle Incident: Several are mentioned in earlier chapters concerning Derry's past, which involve residents still living in the book's present. Subverted when these are later explored in Mike's interviews in the interludes.

Adrian Mellon

Adrian Mellon

A young homosexual man in Derry. He grows fond of the town, despite its violently homophobic mindset, and only agrees to leave to please his partner, Don Hagarty.

Zack and Sharon Denbrough

The parents of Bill and Georgie Denbrough.

Abusive Parents: After Georgie's death, Zack and Sharon outright neglect Bill Denbrough to the point where he wonders if all of their parental love were only for his younger brother. Before, they used to be Good Parents and the entire family led a happy life. Zack's parental affection he formerly emitted would sometimes resurface again whenever he interacts with Bill throughout the novel, though it happens rarely and would dissipate again.

Will and Jessica Hanlon

The parents of Mike Hanlon.

Good Parents: Will and Jessica are the few parents appearing in the novel are who this along with Richie Tozier's and Stan Uris'. He plays a huge role in Mike's education about Derry's history due to being an amateur historian of the town himself, and possessing a collection of photographs and other keepsakes.

Mr. Exposition: In one of the novel's interlude chapters, he details the events of the Black Spot incident to Mike when the latter pays him a visit at the hospital.

Sonia Kaspbrak

The mother of Eddie Kaspbrak.

Fat Bastard: Shs is an incredibly large woman and is also rather unpleasant. It's stated in the novel that she continues to grow fatter over time, and weighed a little more than four hundred pounds by the time she dies of a heart attack.

Freudian Excuse: The reason for her treatment towards Eddie is her husband's death due to cancer, and she fears losing her son as well.

My Beloved Smother: She constantly worries about Eddie's health and well-being to an obsessive degree. Derry's local pharmacist, Norbert Keene, eventually tells Eddie that his asthma is non-existent and is a psychological consequence of his mother's hold over him.

Norbert Keene

Norbert Keene

The owner and operator of the Center Street Drug Store for fifty years from 1925 to 1975.

Parental Incest: It's hinted that he sublimates his incestuous desires toward his daughter by being physically abusive in other ways.

Pet the Dog: Alvin can be loving at times. Deconstructed though, in that this causes a lot of confusing emotions in Beverly and is implied to be why she ends up in a series of abusive relationships as an adult.

Workaholic: Elfrida spends long hours waitressing. Counts as a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming when the novel reveals that she works so hard because she's afraid of her family becoming homeless due to their impoverished situation.

Butch Bowers

Butch Bowers

A struggling farmer and abusive father of Henry Bowers who has a strong hatred towards Will Hanlon.

Abusive Parent: Not only does he beats his son, but he once went after Victor Criss with a pole for dropping a pail of vegetables he meant to sell.

Asshole Victim: He is an abusive father and extremely prejudiced towards Will Hanlon. Henry eventually kills him under It's influence.

Ax-Crazy: It's noted that after his farming business begins failing and his wife leaves him, Butch becomes progressively more insane. This starts to rub off on his son, who becomes as mentally unstable as he is.

Shell-Shocked Veteran: Fought in the Marines during World War II. Will and many others in Derry believe this is what led to his insanity.

Officer Aloysius Nell

Adults Are Useless: Perhaps one of the few adults in Derry to avert this. Officer Nell finds the kids playing in the graywater of Derry and scolds them, but quickly softens his stance when one of the children begins to cry. He cautions them to never go anywhere alone, and in the final battle with It, Richie seems to actually channel Officer Nell when doing his Oirish Cop impersonation, and the man's voice has such power that it seems to actually hurt It, even if only momentarily.

Police Are Useless: Discussed by Mike's parents after Henry attacks him and drenches him head to toe in mud; Mike's mother demands he call the cops, but dear ol' Dad doesn't do so because he doesn't care for Borton and views him as a spineless jellyfish who won't side with him. Will contrasts Borton with his predecessor, Sheriff Sullivan, who was a decent man who treated the Hanlons with respect and supported them when Butch Bowers victimized them.

Non-Derry Characters

Tom Rogan

Tom Rogan

The insane, abusive, violent and sadistic husband of Beverly Marsh. Tom has a very predatory view of women, and he thrives on the control he has over his vulnerable wife.

Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: He finds out that Bev went to Derry by going to the home of her friend Kay and beating it out of her; Kay holds out under the beating until Tom threatens to mutilate her face with a broken vase.

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